Poetry and Coffee

I took a trip to Hayesville where the Netwest Writers and Poets meet for coffee and poetry reading at their local bookstore. What a perfect combination, coffee, and the written word, especially when you add some yummy little desserts to go with it. Brenda Kay Ledford was the guest poet who read her poetry. She is an amazing poet from that area, the kind of poet who lived in the same type places that I did and she knows how to say it so you can see, feel, and be right there with her. I really enjoyed this whole group of women, just reading and enjoying the comradery of other poets and writers. After Brenda Kay Ledford read, there was an open mic and many of us read a poem. I read one about my Grandpa Sid and everyone laughed at the right places and were wide eyed at the right places. LOL When I was through, a couple of the women told me they wanted to know more and wondered if I thought about writing a short story about Grandpa. I have thought and am working on a chapbook of character sketches. Now I’ll have to call it family character sketches because that’s what they have turned out to be so far.
The bookstore in Hayesville is a dream. They have arts and crafts (all local) as well as many wonderful regional and local writers books. I couldn’t get out of that bookstore! It’s a long drive to Hayesville so I won’t go often, but every now and again, I will look forward to the trip over to meet with this group of poets again. I want to walk into every little shop on the main street as well. There’s a wonderful knit shop, a bakery that I did try and is out of this world (Annie’s Natural), and lots of places to eat that I want to try as well.
Being with other writers always inspires me and this was no exception. What fun!
I have so many books and ideas for books that never get much further than that but they are all there, waiting to be put in order or written when I get around to it. As long as I don’t run out of things to write about, I guess I’ll be fine and my passion for writing will stay with me, even if nothing ever comes of it.